Magnifier and bookstand



July 22, 1952 L. M. WALRATH l MAGNIF IER AND BOOKSTAND Filed-March 7, 195o INVENTOR.'

July 22, 1952 v l.. M. wALRATH 2,604,009

ls/IAGNIFIERA AND BooKs'rAND Filed March?, 1950 SHEETS-SHEET www l Q tix 26 l Luellawwlmw,

0 Mw I ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 22, 1952 '2,604,009l MAGNIFrEn AND BooKs'rAND Iiui'zlla Walrath, Houston, Tex.

Application March 7', 195o, serial No. 148,045

The present invention relates to a combination book support and lmagnifier utilizing a reading lens, and more particularly, to that typeof device useful among typists,students and law libraries andthe like for the lreading. of hne print, particuf larly in legal periodicals, abstracts of title and maps.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved means fonholding an open book orother printed matter so that a magnifying reading lens may be moved over both pages of an open book or over the entire surface of other open printed matter, whereby the position of the.

reading lens may be varied easily andwithout loss of time. f

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination book support and magnifying lens soY constructed that the :position and focus of the reading lens can b e adjusted with one hand if necessary. f f

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combination booksupport and magnier having a carrier frame projected lbeyond the edges of the book support and so constructed that it may be easily raised and lowered or entirely "removed from the book support for use on maps,

charts, and the like. f

A further object of the present invention is to' provide a combination book support and lens holding frame so attached-to a movable slide as to permit universal movement of the lens holding frame and the contained magnifyingglass sothat.. the magnifying lens mayY be accurately focused;

for each individual reader and also to permita circular area of printed matter to be covered by a simple movement of the horizontally adjustable bar or its attached, vertically adjustable slideelement.

Another object ofthe present invention is `to provide in a combination book support and magnifier, means for moving a magnifying lens horizontally and vertically relative to a sheet of reading material independently'of the means for universally positioning the lenswholding frame, in a simple and expeditious manner. l

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combination book support and magnifier so constructed as 'to permit its being lowered sufliciently to rest on ones lap or raised to a height practical for table use.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a combination book support and magnifier a lens holding frame so constructed as to permit easy removal of the glass lens for cleaning o r storage purposes.

Broadly speaking, the present invention contemplates a base pivotally connected to a book supporting table in a manner. to permit the table being raised or lowered and to also permit the adjustment of the angle of inclination ofthe 3 claims.. (o1. :ss-39) table..` A carrier frame is removably mounted on the table in a manner so thatit may be easilyy A -bar'is-slid-V swung clear of the :table surface. ably secured to one side of the carrier, which bar carriesl a rider or member movable vertically along the bar,` and pivotally secured to the rider or; movable member is a clamp to frictionallysecure a lens holding frame. for u-niversalradjustment. By means of this construction, the carrier frame including the slide bar and; lens may kbe swung` out of position and an open bookplaced on the inclined table after which the carrier frame .is swungback into position over the open book and the lens ,positioned over the material to beread or copied by means ofthe slide bar and movable rider, the focus and ne'adjustment of the lensbeing accomplished-by means of the universal joint between the clamp and lens holding frame. Other objects of this invention will be apparentv from the following description and accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings in which is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention:

r Figure 1 is a plan view of the combinationabook support and magnifier, adjusted with lthe book support in inclined relationship to the base;

Figure 2 is a front view of the device shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View in thesame `inclined relationship as in Figures l and-2 Figure a is a fragmental rear view of the device;

-Figure 5 is an enlarged detaill section .of the magnifier including frameand adjusting means;

`Figure 6 is an enlarged detail` section in the plane indicated by the line S-' of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectionlshowingv,

the extendable carrier frame yand f f4 Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section .of carrier frame pivot. f

Referring to the drawings, therevis illustrated 'the a'base'member IU having an upwardly extending I for'the reception of the adjusting screw I3 whichsecures the arms Ill and I5 of the clamp member to the lug I I. A suitable wing nut I2 is'provided so that clamping arms la, I5 may be easily adjusted'relative to the base. V- f` A downwardly extending lugv or block 20 secured to the underside of the table 22 receives the upper ends of clamping arms I4 and I5 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Additional clamping screws I1 and I8 having Wing nuts IS'and Iiassociatedl therewith are provided to insure the proper positioning of thetable 22.

any suitable means.

open book and also to receive the inwardly extending side arms 23, l23 of the carrier frame 26 in the preferred embodiment. The raised portion 2| has bearing holes 44 in opposite sides thereof and which may be of the same diameter as the' arms 23 so that the latter may be easily pivoted therein and which permits easy disengagement of the arms from the holes by springing the arms outwardly. Y f

The carrier frame 26' may be of any suitable size and shape but is shown rectangular and formed in twopieces in order to permit the width tion while Figure 2 shows the arms in retracted position. Suitablethumb screws 25-25 are provided to hold the arms 26--26 in the desired position. Y

Attached to the transverse horizontal portion of the carrier frame 26' is a conventional slide element 29 by means of which the bar 30 may be moved horizontally the length of the carrier frame. Bar 30 has the movable rider or member 40 associated therewith to carry a lens and holding frame to be subsequently described. The member 40 is movable vertically across the surface of the table 22 to give up and down coverage of the reading matter on the table being worked upon.'A Y

A suitable stop such as pin 42 (Fig. 6) on the bar 3D prevents the disengagement of member 40 from bar 3 0 when member 40 is at its lowermost i position( The. bar 30 can be formed with a* threaded hole 43 (Fig. 1) spaced slightly below stop 42 so as to permit the position of the stop 42 to`be changed if necessary to permit longer up Vand down travel of member 40.

A top lug 4| (Fig. 6) integral with the member 40 pivotally receives the clamping arms 36 and 31 as at 38 (Fig. 5). The tops of the clamping 'arms 36 and 31 have dished out portions or sockets on theirinner faces to receive the ball element so as to provide a universal joint (Fig. 5).

' A lens holding frame comprising the two spring Y clamps 32 and the adjusting handle 3| is secured tional contact between clamping arms 36, 31 andthe ball element 35 so that the lens holding frame will not move from its adjusted position without the application of a small force to handle 3|.

It will readily be observed that the magnifying lens maybe focused and positioned easily and accurately over any area of an open book or the like by simply raisingbar 30 from its rest on raised portion 2| and moving slide 29 to the right or left on the carrier 26' after which the movable rider may be moved up or down on bar 30, memberY 40 being positioned on bar 30 by frictional contact therewith. Clamping arms 26 and 31 may be pivoted to aid in proper focusing of the l1ens 33 after which the final position of the lens may be had by moving handle 3| associated with the ball member 35. By means of the universal joint provided by ball element 35 it will be observed that the lens 33 may be raised, `lowered or moved in a circular path so as to cover a large segment of a printed page without move ment of the rider or bar member.

The invention has been described herein in detail, yet it is to be understood that the invention Vis-not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts,

' and equivalents may be substituted without departing Afrom the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable reading tableand magnifier comprising a base member, an upstanding lug on saidr base member, a pair of parallel clampingV arms pivotally mounted to said lug by means of a bolt and wing nut whereby said arms may be fixed relative-to said lug, a table member for holdingA reading material, a'lug on the undersurface of said table substantially medially thereof with the free ends of said clamping arms being pivotally mounted thereon whereby said table may be folded fiat against said base member, a locking nut to secure said arms against pivotal movement relative to said table, a third locking nut associated with said clamping arms intermediate of said other two, whereby pivotal movement of` said clamping arms relative to'said base member and said table is prevented, a rectangular carrier frame pivotally secured to the lower end of said table, an elongated bar member slidably attached to the upper transverse portion of said frame and extending across said table, a slide member mounted for vertical movement ori/said bar, an

upstanding lug on said slide, a second pairof clamping arms on said lug, means for pivotallyV securing said arms to said lug, a lens holding frame secured by the free ends of said clamping arms, and a magnifying glass carried by said lens holding frame, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to permit both pages of an open book to be covered without moving said book.

2. Adevice as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side arms ofvsaid carrier frame are constructedl of 'two telescoping sectionswith means for lockingsaid sections together.

3. A device as claimed inV claim 1 wherein the inner faces of the free ends of said second pair of clamping arms aredished to receive a ball member integral with said lens holding frame andV constituting a universal joint for said frame whereby the position, and focus ofthe readingV lens can be quickly and conveniently varied.

LUELLAl M. WALRATH.

` REFERENCES VCITED The following references are -of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

